New Job for the New Year: How to Make It Happen

What is on your list of New Year’s resolutions? More exercise? A healthier diet? Learning a foreign language? Maybe your resolution for the New Year is to incorporate advice you have been given and land that dream job! If the job you have always wanted is not where you currently find yourself, perhaps now is the time to pursue it.

If you need some convincing, here are three good reasons to hunt for your dream job now.

It is the beginning of a new year. It is one of the easiest times of the year to motivate yourself to do something new and different. People everywhere are vowing fresh starts—you will be in good company as you embark on a new chapter.

Chances are, you have had a good holiday season, feel invigorated, and have fresh energy to apply to a job search.

Many employers put hiring on hold as they navigated the holiday season and are now ready to fill vacant positions.

If you find yourself freshly motivated, a proactive plan is the next step! At the great risk of sounding cliché, start by putting one foot in front of the other.

Make it a goal to complete the following steps within six weeks or less.

Weeks 1-2 -- Refresh or update your resume. Get it out, dust it off, and make it better. Find a career professional to help you. Be sure to create a different value section for each job announcement—one résumé does NOT fit all.

A resume tailored for a specific job posting will bring better results than a generic one. Take the time to customize it to fit the position.

Weeks 3-4 -- Join social and professional networks, build your network, then, leverage your network. This will take longer than two weeks, but if you do not already have a network, now is the time to build yours. Networking is one of the most important parts of a job search.
Create a LinkedIn profile, use Facebook, BeKnown, BranchOut, and Twitter. If you are not comfortable using social media to network, you may need to leave your comfort zone. Check out Social Media and Job Search to learn more about social media and job searching.

Weeks 5-6 -- Find three positions you would love to have (for which you are qualified) and submit a stellar application package for each. You will need a strong cover letter, a professional, compelling resume, and timely follow-up letter.

Getting started is often the hardest part. Complete these steps within the first six weeks of the New Year and you will have hit the ground running on your job search.

Diligently network and persistently apply to job announcements.

Make some cold calls to organizations where you would like to work. Introduce yourself and ask if there are any openings. Keep your name at the top of the hiring manager’s mind.

Remember to be patient—the average job search is eight months. If you need a job sooner than that, you must pull out all the stops and learn aggressive and assertive job searching. Hire a career guide to help you accelerate the process.

There are a lot of strategies to try. If one does not work, keep trying! Don’t give up!

Bottom Line

The sooner you start pursuing in earnest your dream job, the sooner you will have it! Motivate yourself this New Year to land the job you have always hoped to have. Why wait? Make the first weeks (or months) of the New Year count!

More Holiday Job Search Tips

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